Graffiti on public structures, such as walls, telephone booths, windows, monuments, etc., is a significant problem. It particularly represents a problem to those responsible for removing the unwanted paint and markings from the structures while still maintaining the integrity of the base materials.
The selection of a cleaning composition for widespread use must take into consideration not only whether the product effectively cleans in a reasonable amount of time without attacking the structure, but whether the composition meets health and environmental standards set by state and federal governments. Some of the most effective cleaning compositions, such as ketones, chlorinated hydrocarbons, petroleum solvents, caustics, nitropropanes and acids cannot be used because of the restrictions imposed by these standards.